June 2008, the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees approved implementation of Higher Values in Higher Education 2008-2018, with the Vision Statement that “Western
Illinois University will be the leader in educational quality, opportunity, and affordability amongst its peers.” This report, the second in an annual series, demonstrates institutional progress on achieving the institutional vision, mission, values and goals of Higher Values in Higher Education 2008-2018.

Institutional progress reporting follows a two-part accountability reporting process, started with the original Higher Values in Higher Education. First, the Board receives an annual Strategic Plan Update documenting the number of Higher Values in Higher Education priorities with accomplishments and implementation plans each fall. In September 2010, the Board was presented with the following data.

2009

2010

Number of Priorities

131

131

Percent with Achievements

90.1%

95.4%

Percent with Plans

90.8%

90.8%

Second, Performance Reports summarize the impact of strategic plan implementationby documenting an annual comparison of whether the University’s performance indicators are completed/maintained, progressing in the desired direction, showing no change, or moving in the opposite direction.

In the second full year of implementation for Higher Values in Higher Education 2008-2018, 43 (70.5%) of the University’s performance indicators are completed/maintained or progressing in the desired direction, with only 18 (29.5%) showing no change or moving in the opposite direction.

It should be noted that data for the table below is based on annual comparisons. The Fiscal Year 2013 Performance Report (scheduled for December 2012) will look at the cumulative effect of Higher Values in Higher Education 2008-2018 implementation. This data will inform the next regularly scheduled revision/update of the University’s Strategic Plan scheduled to begin in fall 2013.

It should also be noted that the table format below has been changed from previous reporting to document individual campus efforts occurring locally in Macomb or the Quad Cities (e.g., retention and graduation rates) to inform campus planning at the local level. The display has also been changed to document those efforts that are made at the institutional level (e.g., faculty salaries are established by contractual agreements and not individual campuses) as we collectively advance the shared vision, mission, values, and goals of Higher Values in Higher Education on our campuses and in our host communities, service regions, and beyond.

For convenience, each of the performance indicators has been linked to the specific webpage and location of that item. However, readers are encouraged to view the presentation via the links in the Table of Contents at the upper right. This will enable readers to view Western Illinois University's performance in its entirety and to take advantage of additional information provided. The specific indicator links then provide for an easy review of specific performance.

1Data for the National
Survey of Student Engagement are not reported separately by campus. Freshmen
results are displayed for Macomb as the Quad Cities Campus does not admit new
beginning freshmen. Senior results are combined for the Macomb and Quad Cities
Campus and are placed in the Both Campuses display.

Institutional data details are discussed in the pages that follow. To further inform campus planning and accountability reporting, the University’s most current performance (fall 2010 or Fiscal Year 2011) is reported on a longitudinal basis. Western’s performance is also compared to a subset of the Illinois public universities requested by the Board of Trustees (i.e., Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University, the University of Illinois-Springfield, and Western Illinois University), all Illinois public universities, as well as Macomb and Quad Cities Campus benchmark institutions. In most cases, benchmarking data is for the previous year (fall 2009 or Fiscal Year 2010) due to secondary data publishing schedules.

For salary comparisons, the agreed upon University Professionals of Illinois-Western Illinois University peer group is used. A future monthly Strategic Plan Update will compare Western staff salaries to averages at peer institutions. Comparative peer data were not available at the time of writing this report.